Little Talks
by NotReallyMagical
Summary: "Good news is that you're not all dead. Just half-dead. Fate's not done with you yet, Merlin. Welcome to the world of us poor saps who apparently still have a bone to pick with this lousy planet."
1. Chapter 1

**Before you start this be aware that if you see a character I've used in one of my other stories it has nothing to do with this one ok I just get really emotionally attached to characters and have a habit of recycling them in order to keep them around so ya if you see a character in here that you've seen already in AL/WMU don't think this is a sequel or anything ok that's all hope you enjoy**

* * *

_I don't like walking around this old and empty house_

_So hold my hand, I'll walk with you, my dear_

_The stairs creak as you sleep, it's keeping me awake_

_It's the house telling you to close your eyes_

* * *

The sound of footsteps over sticks and leaves was quiet. The group of men creeped stealthily through the woods, swords drawn, breathing slow and quiet. Occasionally a stick would break, resulting in a glare at a skinny black-haired man from a taller, bulkier blonde man dressed in armor. The skinny man would just shrug, then nod his head forward as if to say focus on the task, not on me. The blonde would roll his eyes at this, but oblige anyway.

"Sire," a man with ear-length curly brown hair and a thin beard hisses under his breath, and the blonde man turns his head to look in the direction of the call.

"What is it, Leon?" The blonde asks, taking a few quiet steps in Leon's direction to look through an opening in the leaves blocking the view. The black haired man tries to get a view from behind the two, but to no avail. The blonde steps back and looks over the group quickly, with a solemn nod as if he knows what's going to happen.

How could he, though? Nobody could have predicted what would happen. If they did, they probably wouldn't have come.

The group of men unsheathes their swords, preparing to ambush the beast standing in the clearing. The black haired man, despite his seemingly endless hours of research, could not find a single thing on the creature. Not a name, not a weakness, nothing. So, having the disadvantage of not knowing the beast's weaknesses, the black-haired man could only hope for a decent ending to this situation.

"Merlin, stay here," the blonde man whispers at the black-haired one, who nods despite the fact that he has very little intention of doing what he's told. But then again, when does he?

The blonde takes a deep breath, then swings around the tree he was hiding behind and breaks through the bush line and into the clearing. The rest of the men dressed in armour follow him, and they all surround the rather shocked-looking beast.

Merlin watches helplessly as the thing easily bats away two men without even blinking a black eye, and he winces as one slams into a tree and the other hits the ground with a sickening thud. He keeps his eyes trained on the blonde, who continuously fails at trying to make a blow to the thing's heart. He feels his heart sink to his chest as he watches the thing raise a paw and gets prepared to squish the blonde like a fly.

He mutters a few words, which in turn knock the blonde out of the way just in time for the paw to slam into the ground. He doesn't have much time to be relieved, though, because the thing is slashing and clawing harder than before and he lands a blow on the blonde's leg which earns a cry of pain. Merlin's seen enough by this point and he rushes out into the scene, prepared to drag the blonde away and send the beast running.

Things don't exactly go according to plan, though. He makes it to the blonde, who yells at him to get back to the cover of the trees. "Shut up, Arthur," Merlin hisses back and the blonde blinks but doesn't say anything. Merlin grabs his arms and starts to pull him away, not putting any attention on the beast at all. It all seems to happen in slow motion, really. He's almost at the tree line, when he hears Arthur scream a desperate _"MERLIN!"_ He looks up just in time to see the giant paw flying towards him. He doesn't even have enough time to react, because the thing's claws are already slashing far too deep into the warlock's side.

And after that, all he sees is black.

* * *

Merlin wakes up with a certain irritating pounding in his skull, and he pushes his hand on his forehead in an attempt to dull the pain. He looks around the room, feeling a sense of relief at the familiarity of Gaius' quarters. Where is Gaius, anyway? Merlin thinks to himself as he stands up from the bed.

Suddenly he remembers the fight with the beast and lifts his shirt to see he hasn't even been scratched. That'd be impossible, though, the thing slashed him almost to bits. Certainly his magic hadn't fixed the scars. What, though?

He looks up and drops his shirt as the door opens and Gaius walks in. He's a bit slow-moving today, Merlin observes, as he watches his mentor make his way across the room. The old man keeps his eyes trained on the ground as he moves about, and Merlin raises his eyebrows at him. Gaius picks up a few empty bottles and stares at them blankly, them sets them back down and sighs, closing his eyes dully.

"Are you okay, Gaius?" Merlin asks, taking a cautious step towards the man.

Gaius ignores him, though. He walks away from the bench and towards Merlin's own room, and Merlin follows him curiously.

He watches with his eyebrows raised as Gaius approaches his dresser and opens the top drawer. "What are you..." Merlin starts, but he drops the sentence as Gaius pulls the red neckerchief out of his drawer.

The same one that's tied around Merlin's neck.

He keeps his narrowed eyes trained on Gaius as he reaches up to his neck and grabs the neckerchief in his hand, a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stares at his mentor. "Okay, seriously, Gaius. This really isn't funny. What's going on?"

Still, Gaius ignores him. He sighs again, putting the thing back in the drawer and closing it slowly. He then turns and walks back to the door, and Merlin watches as he walks away.

"That was strange..." Merlin says to nobody in particular, and follows Gaius out the door.

He gets out just in time to see Gaius leave the chambers, and he follows behind, but by the time he gets out Gaius is nowhere to be seen. Merlin huffs a sigh, and decides to make a stop by Arthur's chambers. The prat hasn't come to check on him yet, so he may as well let him know that he's alive and well. He walks through the halls, staring at everyone curiously as they all seem to look straight past him, not even trying to walk around him. Merlin has to dodge almost everyone since none of them make any attempts to not crash straight into him, and by the time he makes it to the door of Arthur's room, he's a bit winded.

The door is open, so Merlin just walks in. "Well, despite being clawed to bits, I think you'll be glad to find that I'm still fully functional," Merlin says in a light tone as he walks up to Arthur's desk.

The prince, like Gaius, doesn't answer. He sits at his desk, fingers pressed to his lips in concentration as he stares off into space. Merlin takes a few more steps until he's standing directly in front of Arthur and he waves his hand testingly in front of his friend's face. Arthur doesn't even react.

"Oh, this is making me sad just watching," a voice with an odd accent says from behind Merlin, making him jump.

He whips around, meeting the eyes of a tall, black haired boy who's standing with his weight on one foot and his arms crossed. "You're not supposed to be in here," Merlin tells him, and he just shrugs.

"Who's gonna make me leave?" He asks in a somewhat challenging tone, and Merlin doesn't answer right away, which is apparently funny to the boy. "Not you, then."

Merlin narrows his eyes at the boy. How can he just stroll into the prince's chambers as if he lives here and make casual conversation? And why, why isn't Arthur saying anything about it? Merlin casts a glance at the prince over his shoulder, who's staring with the same blank look as Gaius at the paper in front of him. "He can't see you," the boy says and Merlin whips his head around to see if he's joking.

"Of course he can," Merlin scoffs, though a small feeling of denial is forming in his stomach that he can't seem to get rid of.

"No, he really can't. You're dead, man. Sorry to be the one to break it to you."

Merlin can physically feel his heart sink to his feet. "Can you repeat that? I think I heard you wrong."

The boy shakes his head, almost sadly. "No, you heard me right. Dead as a doornail. They buried you yesterday."

Merlin clenches his fists, shaking his head stubbornly. "I think i'd know if I was dead."

"You _are_ dead. Names Michael."

"Merlin," Merlin whispers, looking back at Arthur a bit helplessly.

"I know that. Merlin the magician. That's got a nice ring to it, you know. You should use that more often."

Merlin feels his heart drop even further as his eyes widen. "Shh!" He rushes forward, holding his hand over Michael's mouth only to have it shoved away. "How do you know-"

"I've been here a while, it's not that hard to work out. You're pretty interesting, I'd say. Got a whole destiny, a pet dragon, an entire legend following you. It's kinda mind-blowing, if you think about it."

Merlin looks down at the ground and shuffles his feet awkwardly. "Please,_ please_ tell me you're lying to me about this."

"Wish I was," Michael says with a shake of his head. "You wouldn't know, I guess. Not with everyone leaving every single door open in this place," he says, looking over his shoulder at the still-open door at the other side of Arthur's room.

Merlin, with a stubborn look of determination, stalks off toward the door. He goes to slam it closed to prove that he is not, in fact, dead, but instead of slamming, his hand flies right through it.

He stands there with a look of shock painted across his features, and he whips around when he hears a loud, almost cackling laughter from behind him. "Dude, you're dead!" Merlin, with every intention of throwing this boy across the room, pushes his hand outwards towards Michael. But instead of flying into the air, Michael lazily puts up a hand and gives Merlin a tired smirk. "That the best you can do?"

"What-" Merlin starts, but the boy just rolls his eyes and pulls his sleeve up his arm, revealing the familiar symbol. "You're a Druid," Merlin breathes, and the boy nods and pulls his sleeve back down his arm.

"Yeah. So, Merlin, I guess now that we've got the basis of the situation down, I should probably tell you all the complicated things."

* * *

**kinda a shitty first chapter i know but i did the best i could with the idea i had i made the entire story in my mind but forgot to make a beginning so this is what y'all get ok**

**no but i do quite like this and yes michael is back but it's not the same michael as in al/wmu hes not mordred or anything like that promise hes a different michael same name and looks and stuff but different guy**

**also theres a few oc's in this i think theres about 4 or 5 and dont worry im not gonna exclude the merlin characters they'll be there**

**idk if you take the time to read my ridiculously messy unorganized writing then i love you**

**thats about all im jenna hope you enjoy this**

**-notreallymagical**


	2. Chapter 2

_And some days I can't even trust myself_

_It's killing me to see you this way_

* * *

Merlin follows Michael as the boy walks straight through every person who crosses his path. He does his best to avoid crashing into everyone, while Michael doesn't even seem to really notice. He easily walks through people and doors and walls, while Merlin does his best to try and do so the way he's always done it. This gets fairly hard when you can't push doors open, though.

He and Michael finally make it to a small room Merlin's passed a few times but never gone into. It's fairly spacious, about half the size of Arthur's quarters. Completely empty, too, except for a few cushioned chairs and a small table in the centre. "Nobody's been in here for a while. Door's been jammed for years. Orion?!"

A girl pokes her head around the corner a bit comically, her long blonde hair falling off her shoulder and blue eyes widening from the distance. She jumps out from her hiding place and approaches them, a small bounce in her step as she walks. She's significantly shorter than Merlin, and a lot younger, too. She's got to be around sixteen, maybe younger.

"Emrys," she grins, teeth strikingly white, and Merlin realizes this girl is a figure of beauty. Perfectly curled hair, bright blue eyes and a gleaming white smile. Her skin glows and her eyes shine, and with a glance at Michael, Merlin notices for the first time that he's just the same.

"Do I look like that, too?" He asks, and Michael nods.

"It's a perk to being dead. It'd be a lot better if people could see it, but you take what you can get."

"Finally we get a new one. Mike's been boring me for years," Orion sighs, though the smile doesn't leave her face when she glances at Michael, who makes a mocking face and Orion laughs.

"Yeah, yeah, you keep talking. Just remember that I've been the only source of entertainment you've had for 3 years," Michael retorts lightly, sitting in one of the chairs. Merlin half expects him to fall through, but he doesn't.

"So, Emrys. Welcome to the world of the dead, population us three," Orion says a bit too cheerfully, and Merlin raises an eyebrow at her, hoping she doesn't make a habit out of calling him Emrys.

"Just three? Really?"

"Well, four," Orion says, a bit awkwardly, and Merlin raises his eyebrows at her.

"Who's the fourth?"

"Trust me, you don't want to meet the fourth," Michael laughs, but his smile fades when Orion glares at him.

"Alright. Four, then," Merlin nods a bit awkwardly.

"Course. Did you think the castle was gonna be crawling with dead people? If that happened we'd have to call it the apocalypse," Michael laughs and Orion grins over at him, both obviously forgetting or ignoring what they'd been talking about a second earlier.

"Why do you talk like that?" Merlin asks, ignoring the comment and approaching Michael, who raises his eyebrows questioningly.

"Like what?"

"Like, that way, with that accent. It's odd. You called me_ dude_," Merlin says, the unfamiliar word rolling off his tongue awkwardly.

"Dunno. I spent a bit of time in the 2000's, way back when," Michael shrugs. "And I'm from America."

"Where is America? Is it in a different kingdom?" Merlin questions, and Michael laughs.

"Different continent, actually," he says in his strange accent and Merlin opens his mouth to say something but Michael cuts him off. "Nothing I can say. It'd disrupt the space-time continuum to recite future knowledge in the past or something."

Merlin stares at him wide eyed for a moment before finally saying, "what are you going on about?"

"You get used to it," Orion says, clapping him over the shoulder. "Rubs off on you a bit, too. It's contagious. Eventually you start to speak like him until you've completely converted into an American."

"Hey, no America talk. It's not yet been discovered," Michael warns her lightly in a fake accent like Merlin's and Orion's and she laughs, rolling her eyes.

Merlin stands still, completely dumbfounded, until he just shakes his head and choosing to ignore everything Michael had just said. "So, what's going on with this whole dead situation? I'm going to need a bit more of an explanation than you've given me," Merlin says, slowly sitting in the chair to make sure that he doesn't fall through.

"Well, my fine wizard friend, you've come to the right place. We here are your experts on all things dead-related, what is your question or concern?"

Merlin, despite hardly knowing what Michael said, manages to get enough to know what he's saying. "Aren't we supposed to go to someplace else when we die? I'm certain that being stuck here isn't what's meant to happen."

"No, my friend, it is not. Good question. Well, the good news is that you're not all dead. Just half-dead. Fate's not done with you yet, Merlin. Welcome to the world of us poor saps who apparently still have a bone to pick with this lousy planet. We three are still stuck on this lousy planet because we've been given an assignment."

"What sort of assignment?"

"A special one. One for each of us. And once we complete said assignment, we pass on into eternal life and happiness and_ blah blah blah_."

Merlin raises an eyebrow at Michael at the last part and glances at Orion, who's gotten pretty into braiding her long hair over her shoulder loosely.

"And what's the task?"

"Million dollar question. We've got no idea."

This throws Merlin for a bit of a loop. Orion drops the braid and pulls it apart, smiling weakly at Merlin. "What do you mean you have no idea?!"

"I mean, they don't tell you what your task is. You've gotta find it yourself. But good luck. I've been here for a really long time and I still have no clue what my task is," Michael says a bit sadly, and Merlin sighs and shifts his gaze to his feet.

The awkward silence is immense before a thought strikes Merlin and he jumps to his feet. "I know what mine is."

"That was fast," Orion remarks under her breath but Merlin ignores her.

"It has to be. There's nothing else. The same thing it was when I was alive. It's... Fate has given me another chance at my destiny! My task is to protect Arthur and help him unite the lands of Albion!"

As proud as he is of his discovery, and as much as he'd expected Michael and Orion to be excited, neither of them really react. Orion's finished another braid and is fighting with a knot while trying to pull it apart, and Michael is just staring up at him lazily. "And how do you expect to achieve that? How do you expect to be able to protect him if you can't touch anything? You seem to be forgetting the one piece of vital information; the fact that you're dead."

"How could I possibly forget with you reminding me of it every two seconds?!" Merlin snaps, and Michael only rolls his eyes. Something tells Merlin by this reaction that Michael's used to being snapped at, and the only person it could possibly be from is Orion, who's trying out a different braid now in her own little secluded corner.

"I'm sure I'll figure it out," Merlin breathes, standing tall with determination as he stares down at Michael. "This is my destiny, and it's not over yet."

* * *

Merlin, despite the acceptance that nobody can see him, sits on the edge of Arthur's bed and watches helplessly as the prince paces across the floor of his chambers. "I don't think that's going to solve anything," Merlin says, hoping for but not expecting a reply.

He sighs as Arthur continues pacing until a someone knocks on the door and Arthur stops dead. "Enter," he says in a distracted voice and Merlin jumps to his feet as the door opens.

"Good morning, sire," a voice calls before they've even entered the room and Merlin groans immediately, falling backwards onto the bed hopelessly.

"George," Arthur nods, not even bothering to plaster a smile on his face.

"I've been instructed by King Uther to tend to you as your new manservant," George says in a clearly ecstatic yet completely professional tone, and Merlin groans as he sits up and puts his face in his hands.

"Again," Arthur mutters and a look of confusion passes George's face. He looks as though he's about to speak, but Arthur cuts him off. "Look, George, it's very much appreciated that you would work for me, but I think I'll be able to handle myself for a little while."

"That should be a show," Merlin laughs to himself, half expecting and half hoping for a smart remark from Arthur. Nothing, though, and Merlin goes back to watching the conversation.

"Sire, I don't mean to argue, but I have been instructed by the King-"

"Yes, and now you've been instructed by the prince. Tell my father if you see him that I am in no need of a new manservant at the moment." Arthur says nothing else, just turns and walks off to his desk. George heaves a sigh and Merlin's certain he hears his own name followed by a curse under George's breath, and he laughs as the boy walks out of the room, almost slamming the door after him.

Arthur waits until the footsteps recede to react. Merlin isn't expecting it, so it scares him when Arthur screams and kicks the desk, sending all it's contents flying across the room. Merlin stares in shock as Arthur turns and slams his fist into the wall, which clearly hurts but Arthur really doesn't seem to care. He sighs, leaning into the wall hopelessly.

Merlin watches awkwardly as Arthur stands there for what seems like an eternity, until the door creaks open and a familiar face pokes her head in. "Morgana," Merlin whispers and Arthur says, both at the same time. She takes a few steps into the room, closing the door softly behind her unlike George. She walks up the Arthur, sighing when she sees the papers scattered on the floor. She drops to her knees and begins collecting them, and Arthur wordlessly does the same.

It's silent between the two until the room is mostly clean, and Arthur looks away awkwardly as Morgana stares him down. "Arthur-" she starts, but he quickly cuts her off.

"Don't. Don't say anything. Don't you someplace to be?"

"Arthur, I know how you must be feeling," she sighs, taking a step towards him.

"No you don't. You can't. You can't possibly."

"You can't just lock yourself away," Morgana says, and Arthur stares down at his feet for a moment before looking back up at her.

"Watch me."

"Arthur-"

"Just leave me alone, Morgana!" Arthur snaps, walking away from her and towards the bed that Merlin is sitting on. He jumps to his feet immediately, walking to stand beside Morgana as they both watch Arthur's sad attempt at making his bed.

"Arthur, _please_-"

"I said_ leave me alone_!" Arthur yells, whipping his head to send her a death glare. She heaves a sigh, then turns on her heels and storms out of the room.

"That wasn't very nice," Merlin says as he leans on the bed frame and ends up falling straight through it.

He lands on his ass on the floor and pulls himself to his feet to meet the eyes or Michael, who's suddenly appeared in the room and is staring at him with raised eyebrows and the smallest trace of a smirk on his face. "That was graceful."

"How did you-"

"Once you've been here a while you pick up a few tricks," Michael cuts him off, and then turns to look at Arthur who's given up making his bed and is now sitting on the edge of it, hands clasped on his lap as he stares out the window. "He blames himself, you know."

Merlin looks over at Michael, who just keeps staring at Arthur. "Why? It's not his fault."

Michael laughs at this. A small snort with a smile which fades immediately. "Try telling him that."

"I would if I could," Merlin sighs, and when Michael doesn't answer, he takes a few steps over to Arthur and kneels in front of him. He narrows his eyes, staring directly into Arthur's eyes just hoping he can see. "I'm here, Arthur. It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself." A look of recognition passes Arthur's face and he jumps to his feet, Merlin scrambling backwards to give him some standing room even though Arthur could stand in the exact same spot as him and not notice.

But he did notice. Because Arthur's staring at him now, Merlin's sure of it. "Arthur," Merlin whispers, taking a step towards him slowly.

"Merlin-" Michael whispers, almost sadly, but Merlin couldn't care less. Arthur can see him. Whatever happened, Arthur is looking at him

.

At least, Merlin thought he was. But that proved to be wrong, because Arthur walks straight through him without even a second glance. Merlin whips around and watches as Arthur walks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Michael watches him carefully as a tear falls down Merlin's cheek and he lets out a hopeless, choked sob. Michael doesn't say a word as Merlin stands there, face in his hands, shaking with ragged breaths coming out, until finally he sighs and walks over to him.

"There has to be... Some way. Some way I can talk to him," Merlin says after taking a deep breath.

"There isn't. If there was, I'd probably have figured it out by now. Come on, Orion's back at the room. We've got a new one."

* * *

**okok a few things this story takes place at the beginning of season two you'll see that in the next chapter because it features the events of the curse of cornelius sigan and the beginning of the end so we'll see mordred soon yay**

**that being said i know george is in this chapter we're just gonna pretend that we've already met him at this point because i couldn't help myself he's the greatest**

**ok next chapter should be up soon until then enjoy this**

**-notreallymagical**


	3. Chapter 3

_And though the truth may vary_

_This ship will carry our_

_Bodies safe to shore_

* * *

Merlin and Michael walk through walls and closed doors and people and things until they finally reach the room with the locked door. He looks around for the younger blonde girl, who he eventually sees sitting in the corner with a short, scrawny boy with a mop head of curly, light brown hair who couldn't be any older than fourteen. The boy looks up when he realizes he and Orion have company, and he smiles weakly at the two of them, hazel eyes dull and tired.

"This is Lander," Orion says, getting to her feet and approaching the two of them. "He lived in the lower town."

"How'd he get here?" Michael asks, raising an eyebrow at the black-haired boy who's watching them a bit nervously.

"Drowned, by the looks of him. Probably slipped and hit his head near a lake. Not the most noble death," Orion whispers back and Merlin raises an eyebrow at the boy.

"How can you tell?"

Orion looks over at Lander, then shrugs. "Don't know. It's just a thing you pick up, you just know. Hard to explain."

Merlin nods slowly, narrowing his eyes at Lander who shuffles in his chair awkwardly. "He looks scared."

"He's dead. You can't expect him to be completely comfortable with the situation," Michael snaps back at Merlin, who gives him an ironically shocked look. Michael deliberately ignores this, and Merlin watches as the younger boy approaches Lander slowly. "I'm Michael."

"Lander," the boy says after swallowing a lump in his throat. Orion walks to stand beside Merlin and they watch as Michael attempts to talk to the clearly terrified boy.

"I know that. You drowned, right?" Michael asks and Lander nods slowly, eyes wide as he stares up at the older boy in front of him. "Sorry. But hey, good news is that you're not all dead. Just half-dead."

Lander's eyes widen at this and his jaw drops a bit, staring up at Michael in what looks like shock. And then, to the surprise of everyone in the room, Michael lunges forward and pulls the shoulder of Lander's top down, revealing a black Druid symbol on his shoulder. "Druid, huh? That's what I thought. Why didn't you think that was important?"

"I-"

"You didn't give him much of a chance to say it," Orion says, cutting off Lander before he can say anything else.

Michael doesn't answer directly, just shoots a glare at her over his shoulder.

"What's a Druid doing living in the lower towns of Camelot?" Merlin asks the younger boy, who bites his lip a bit nervously. "Magic is banned here. So why are you living here?"

"I could ask you the same, Emrys," Lander says, finally making out a full sentence and, to Merlin's surprise, the boy's voice is a lot deeper than he'd expected. "My mother warned me about you."

"I thought Emrys was a high figure for the Druids?" Merlin tilts his head to the side a bit in confusion, and Lander shakes his head.

"Not you. Him."

Michael sits up quickly, looking almost nervous as Lander stares at him through narrowed eyes. "Why me? What do I have to do with anything?"

"The time traveling Druid boy. If they knew you were still stumbling around they'd more than likely go insane."

"Best they don't find out, then," Michael says flatly, pulling himself to his feet and walking over to Merlin and Orion. He stops with his shoulder touching Merlin's and leans towards him, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him escape. I'll work on binding him here."

Merlin watches as Michael sends a glare at Lander before disappearing through the wall.

"Druid, then," Merlin nods and Lander, who's apparently gone back into his silent state sitting back in his chair. "Orion? You, too?"

She looks up at him and shakes her head, almost sadly. "No. Just a regular mortal. I thought I'd finally gotten one of my own," she laughs once, nodding in Lander's direction.

"Well, maybe someone else will die soon and you can have a dead friend of your kind," Merlin smiles at her, despite the darkness of the joke. Orion doesn't seem to notice or care because she grins up at him before turning her attention back to Lander.

"What was Michael so concerned about?" Merlin asks after a very long awkward silence, and Orion shrugs and shakes her head.

"Hell if I know. He gets that way sometimes."

"How much do you know about him?" Merlin asks, not really concerned about Lander overhearing because the boy has completely zoned out into his own world, and Merlin suspects he's got a bit of a mental problem, but he ignores it.

Orion keeps her eyes trained on Lander as if he'll disappear if she even blinks, which she hasn't in while. Merlin realizes he doesn't need to blink, either. He's just been doing it out of habit. The same seems true with breathing, too. "Michael?" She asks, and when Merlin nods, she sighs and shuffles her feet awkwardly. "Not much. He doesn't really talk much about his past. It took me forever to find out that he had magic. The other one, the fourth- well, fifth now- was about to kill me. Like,_ kill me_ kill me. Michael saved me with his magic. That's how I met him."

"Kill you? Weren't you already dead, though?" Merlin questions, and Orion nods.

"Yes. Well, we're sort of in a middle-world. Not quite dead but not quite alive. Heaven is the next step, but if you die here, in our state, you just die. No afterlife, no eternal happiness, nothing. Most people call it hell."

"And... The fifth one?" Merlin asks nervously, not sure what sort of reaction this will surface, but Orion only sighs a bit sadly.

"Not something you should be asking me about. Ask Michael if you want to find out about her."

Merlin leaves her alone after that, her clearly wanting silence and him willing to give it to her. He has a lot to think about, anyway.

* * *

The next time Merlin sees Michael is a few days later. He's about forgotten looking for him, instead has taken to sticking by Arthur to make sure the idiot doesn't get himself killed trying to do Merlin's daily duties.

It's not like he can do anything about it, though. No matter how hard he tries, the only things he finds he can move is the other people in the half-dead (or whole-dead) world. He can't move people or objects or incant spells on things in the living world.

This proves to be a bit of a problem, because Merlin never really noticed just how much trouble Arthur tends to get himself into. Of course he knew Arthur was under a constant threat, but it never occurred to him how much threats came the prince's way.

Arthur's lucky he lived through Cedric's ridiculously idiotic spiel through Camelot. It had been Morgana who'd eventually realized that it had been Cedric who'd taken the crystal from the vaults, and somehow they'd managed to get Cornelius Sigan's soul back in it- after a bit of a scare that involved possession of Arthur's body by Sigan himself.

Gaius, Morgana and Gwen had searched through every book in the library for any kind of exorcism that could help them. Merlin only helped a bit at the end. Arthur's lucky that the man was dead, though, or else who knows what would have happened to him. If Sigan had been alive and somehow managed to take Arthur for a walk, the spell that Gaius and the girls had found wouldn't have had any more effect than it did this time, and Merlin wouldn't be able to do anything about it, either.

He's also been keeping a close eye on Morgana. The girl's dreams had gotten much worse despite the even stronger sleeping draughts Gaius had given her, and as Merlin sits cross-legged on the dresser thing at the end of her bed, chin resting on his clasped hands, he mulls over all the factors in his mind. Morgana's dreams had come true before, like when the Sidhe Sophia and her father had came and enchanted Arthur. Morgana had claimed to have dreamt about them before they arrived in Camelot, but nobody had believed her, and then again when Arthur went after the questing beast. She'd dreamt of his death then, which had almost come true. Now sitting here with lightning crashing outside, watching helplessly as the king's ward kicked and thrashed and muttered mostly unintelligible words apart from the occasional "Arthur," and even Merlin's own name, he wonders if they should have been more concerned about Morgana's nightmares.

Merlin's heart skins to his feet when Morgana breathes "Mordred." He sits up quickly, almost falling backwards off the dresser. Why Mordred? One would think he'd be smart enough to not come back to Camelot after he was almost executed the last time.

Suddenly Morgana jolts up in her bed, looking around her room and Merlin jumps as the girl's eyes go from their usual blue to a bright gold. He scrambles to his feet and turns around to see the candle in the corner of Morgana's room growing until it reaches the curtains and before he can think about what's happening, the entire room is surrounded in flames and Morgana is screaming in her bed behind him.

"Get out!" He yells at her, not really realizing she can't hear him. It was an impulsive reaction. Morgana's head whips around and it seems like her eyes focus on him, and her lips move to form an "M" just as the door flies open and Arthur rushes in, taking a look around the room then running toward Morgana. He grabs her and pulls her out of the bed and drags her out of the room, her staring back at Merlin in shock the entire time.

Merlin's left standing just as shocked in the middle of the flames that don't particularly bother him that much. It's a bit hot, sure, but not nearly as hot as it should be. He's not breathing in the smoke, either. He doesn't need to breathe.

He quickly snaps back into the world around him, running out after Arthur and following him down the hallway until they reach Gaius' chambers. "There's a fire!" Arthur yells, waking Gaius up. The old man sits up in his bed, looking around in confusion.

"What?"

"Morgana's room is burning, take her, I'll deal with the fire," Arthur says urgently, setting Morgana down as gently as seemingly possible before rushing out of the room.

"Morgana," Merlin whispers, taking a step towards her. He's not entirely sure if he's expecting a reaction, but he can't help feeling a bit disappointed when she doesn't look over at him.

"What happened, my Lady?" Gaius asks Morgana, grabbing whatever medical thing he needs. She's not burnt or anything, she just looks terribly shocked.

"I don't know. The candle, it wasn't even lit. I woke up and I looked at it, and it just... Lit up."

Gaius hesitates for a moment, looking a bit stumped, but he only shakes his head. "I'm sure it was lit, you were just seeing hallucinations because of the shock."

"But I wasn't. I lit the candle, I know I did," Morgana says in a bit of a choked tone, and Gaius sighs as if he's about to go into some long spiel. "Don't try and tell me that it's not what we both know it is," Morgana warns him and he slams his jaws closed, and it's silent for a while.

"You could see me," Merlin says, kneeling next to where Morgana is sitting. "You could. You looked right at me. How is that possible?"

"Oh, and Gaius?"

Gaius looks up from what he's doing at Morgana, who's face is a mask to hide the fear she's so clearly feeling. "Yes?"

"The candle wasn't the only thing I saw. When the room was burning, I looked to the corner of the room and... He was there."

Gaius looks as though he already knows the answer to the question he wants to ask, but he asks it anyway. "Who was there?"

Morgana's expression is stone-hard as she looks back at the old man and says what Merlin is both excited for and dreading.

"Merlin."

* * *

**so this is interesting**

**morgana can see merlin hmm how does that work**

**but yeah the next chapter features some events from the beginning of the end but im skipping the once and future queen because that episode's plot really doesnt fit in with my plot line sorry guys and girls**

**also i am going episode by episode but only really the outlines like the episodes really wont be anything like these chapters theyre just outlines**

**but yeah next chapter will be up soon massive thank you to all my reviewers, im so glad you all like it and i love talking to you guys and getting your feelings on this i hope it lives up to your expectations!**

**-notreallymagical**


	4. Chapter 4

_There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back_

_Well tell her that I miss our little talks_

* * *

"I came in before with some extra blankets. There was a candle but i put it out."

"Are you sure?" Uther asks, staring Gwen down as if the girl could have somehow done this. Merlin watches as the servants clean up the room, trying to make reason of the situation.

"I put it out, i swear," Gwen says, and Uther turns to Arthur as his son starts talking.

"Gwen's been Morgana's servant for years, if she says she put it out, I believe her."

Gwen sends a grateful but sad look Arthur's way as the prince rubs his eyes tiredly. He obviously didn't get any more sleep last night than he has been, and Merlin just wants to hit him in the face and tell him to get a new servant and move on with his life.

"She could have been burnt alive," Uther mutters, looking at the remains of Morgana's bed.

"The lightning struck the castle roof last night, that could have started the fire," Arthur suggests, rubbing his hands together anxiously.

"Possibly," Uther muses absentmindedly.

"What other explanation is there?" Arthur snaps. Merlin rolls his eyes at the prince's moodiness caused by lack of sleep.

"Someone started the fire deliberately," Uther says in a bit of a spiteful tone and Merlin can just feel where the conversation is headed.

Arthur watches his father leave, looking a bit worried, and Gwen bites her lip awkwardly. Merlin follows as Arthur takes off after his father. As he figured, Uther's only reasonable explanation is sorcery. Which, of course, is the reason, Merlin had decided after thinking about it long enough, but it wasn't deliberate nor was it in the intention of harming Morgana in any way, unless it was her plan to be burned alive.

Merlin runs down the hall to the locked room where Michael, Orion and Lander are, but he stops as he hears a conversation coming from one of the rooms between Morgana and Gaius. "You're the only person I've told about my dreams," she says in a shaky tone, the events of the night before obviously coming back to her again. "I know I can trust you, Gaius."

"Of course you can," Gaius says as he rubs his hand along her back.

"I've already told you, though, that I started the fire. You didn't believe me," Morgana looks up at him through teary eyes as Merlin walks into the room to stand beside Gaius.

"Last night was an accident, my child-"

"I am _not_ a child!" She yells at him, and Merlin flinches.

"It had nothing to do with magic, how could it have? I am going to make you something to make you feel better, I promise. You must trust me."

* * *

"I was at Morgana's chambers, Gaius," Merlin says, sitting at the desk and watching as the old man goes about his business. "It was magic. You know it was. And more importantly, so does she. She isn't sure what's happening to her and it's tearing her apart."

Gaius continues about making the food for himself, and Merlin jumps to his feet. "Talk to her, Gaius, tell her it'll be okay! Tell her that her powers aren't something to be afraid of!

"But of course you can't do that. You would never do that. Best keep her in the dark, let her go on lighting rooms on fire and telling her they're just the wind!" Merlin says sarcastically, following Gaius around the counter. And then, suddenly, he has an idea. "You can't... But maybe I can. Of course I can! She saw me! If I can just figure out how she saw me, I can help her.

"But, no, Merlin. You can't reveal your secret. Even not when you're bloody dead. Who knows how Arthur would react if he knew there was a dead sorcerer manservant walking around the castle?

"So if not me, who else? In a kingdom of outlawed magic, who still has the bravery to practice it?"

Merlin thinks about this for a moment before a thought strikes him. _Michael._

"The Druids, of course! Uther wants them destroyed, and if she were to go there it'd be a sure way to kill her, but who else can? You? You can't help her, Gaius, you're trying to convince her that wind lit her room on fire and that her dreams coming true is just a weird coincidence. You can't and won't do anything for her. I went through the same thing, I know exactly how she's feeling right now. God, if you could hear me now you'd probably have me put in the stocks for a week," Merlin laughs to himself, standing there for a moment longer before turning and taking off back towards Morgana's current room.

He runs into Arthur on the way there but can't be bothered to feel bad for the moping mess of a prince, or to run around him, so he runs straight through Arthur and through the door of Morgana's room. He finds Gwen there, and Morgana asleep, and sighs when he realizes there's nothing he can do until morning.

Until then, he can start looking for ways to get through to her again.

* * *

He decides later that night after a short while of debate that it'd be in his best interest to watch Morgana, since Gwen can't be there all the time and Merlin doesn't need to sleep. So he paces across her floor, deep in thought for a way to communicate, when all of a sudden he hears the bed shift and turns to see Morgana sitting up, wide eyes trained on him.

He tilts his head to the side and Morgana starts panting in a fit of panic. "Morgana?" He whispers, and she jumps, a glass vase beside Merlin exploding into pieces and flying out around the room.

"What is going on?!" She yells, staring at him, obviously absolutely terrified.

"You can see me?" He breathes, taking a step towards her and she pushes back against the bed frame.

"Of course I can see you! How are you here, you were killed!"

"I was, I know! How is this possible?" He asks.

"I was thinking the same thing! What magic is this? Is it someone's cruel idea of a joke?"

"No, it's me, it's really me," Merlin says, a grin spreading on his face. He laughs in joy, taking a few steps toward the panicking girl. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it!"

"Merlin? You are dead!" She yells back, and he sighs though the smile remains on his face.

"I know! Not all dead, only half dead," he corrects her, and she gives him a rather confused look. "I'll explain it all later. Short story is that some futuristic American Druid told me that I have to complete a task to pass into another life since I'm still stuck here."

Morgana stares at him, eyes wide and blank. She starts shaking her head quickly and violently. "It's getting worse. Now I'm going crazy!" She yells, jumping out of her bed and running to the door.

"Morgana, wait!" Merlin calls, running up to her and attempting to slam the door closed, but he just falls through it and Morgana runs off down the hallway.

Merlin chases after her all the way down to Gaius' chambers. She storms inside, Merlin following suit, and Gaius sits up from his bed and rubs his eyes.

"Morgana, wait-" Merlin starts, but she spins around with tears streaming down her face.

"Just leave me alone! Get away from me!" She yells at him and Gaius jumps to his feet urgently.

"My lady, what is wrong?"

"He won't go away! He's following me, he won't leave me alone!" Morgana yells, cowering away from Merlin and using Gaius as a shield from him.

"Who?"

"Merlin!"

A look off sadness and confusion and a hint of anger all pass Gaius' face and he turns and grabs her on the shoulder. "Morgana, Merlin is dead. He has been dead for a month."

"I know that! I'm not an idiot!"

"Morgana-" Merlin starts, attempting to reason with her. If she goes nuts, he'll have no way of communicating with anyone else.

"_Don't_ talk to me!" She yells, pulling away from Gaius and pointing her finger at him. "Just leave me alone!"

"Morgana, _please_!" Merlin begs, and she balls her hands into fists and puts her head in them, letting out a small scream.

"What's the commotion in here?" Michael asks, appearing beside Merlin.

Morgana's head snaps up as she hears his voice and she screams again, putting her head back in her hands. "What's happening, Gaius?!"

"I don't know, Morgana. Calm down, there is nobody here," Gaius says, putting a hand on the girl's back and attempting to coax her out of her hands.

She takes a deep breath and looks up slowly, looking around the room. Merlin takes a step towards her and she doesn't react, just lets out a shaky breath and looks back at Gaius. "I'm going crazy. I'm seeing him everywhere. He's everywhere, Gaius."

"Maybe you just reacted badly to the sleeping drought. No worries, I'll just make you a different one. If it gives you any ill effects, tell me straight away."

Morgana nods absentmindedly, still looking around the room.

"Could she..." Michael starts, and Merlin nods a bit solemnly.

"Yeah. She could."

* * *

**ok so morgana thinks she's going crazy but she can see merlin so that's big**

**now don't think this is going to go episode by episode because it isnt so far ive just done the nightmare begins which will take this chapter and the next one i believe, and after that we'll see the lady of the lake**

**so im completely changing the storyline of the episodes and the show by cutting out things like morgause because obviously morgana isnt evil in this so theres no real reason for morgause to be in it but yeah**

**idk how many actual episodes i will write but ill mix them in with other things so it wont just be following the storyline of the show so yeah**

**but here's a new chapter next one shouldn't take more than 2 days**

**-notreallymagical**


	5. Chapter 5

thanks to laughandlove for the review! sorry I couldn't answer personally because you were on guest :/

* * *

_Soon it will all be over and buried with our past_

* * *

Merlin watches in silence as Leon and Arthur read through the list of all suspected sorcerers who could have started the fire in Morgana's chambers. After Arthur nods Leon away, he sets down the list, which rolls into a scroll. Merlin curses under his breath, walking over to it and attempting to open it with his magic. When that doesn't work he crosses his arms and taps his foot impatiently, waiting for Arthur to open the scroll again.

Arthur, though, walks over to his bed and tosses the covers up onto the pillow. He looks down at the bed, seemingly satisfied at the less-than-mediocre stature of the blankets, and Merlin laughs to himself.

"Still don't think you need a manservant?" Merlin asks, then laughs even harder. "Didn't he tell you not to be funny, Merlin?" And then he laughs even harder. "And now you're talking to yourself. You're having a chat with yourself in the middle of Arthur's chambers. Great. I'm going absolutely crazy."

* * *

Merlin never really needed to get his message through to Morgana. The girl had decided on her own to go to the Druids and find out what was happening to her.

Merlin follows suit behind her as she trails through the woods, following the directions she'd been given by one of the prisoners about the whereabouts of the Druid camp, and now she's on her way there. He's certain the king has already sounded the warning bells and has an entire army looking for his ward, and as aware as he is that people's lives are in danger, Morgana's included, he knows that if Morgana doesn't do this now she'll be lost for who knows how long. It's not like he could stop her, anyway. He still has no idea how and when she can see him.

Morgana walks through the fog, her red cape flowing behind her. She stops suddenly, hearing a sound in the woods and Merlin curses under his breath. Morgana looks around, eyes wide, before she turns and runs further into the forest.

Hours later, in darkness of the night, Merlin is still tailing behind Morgana. He's not tired at all, he doesn't get tired anymore, but he can tell the walk is taking it's toll on the girl.

The sounds in the woods are still present, but nothing shows until Merlin notices a massive scorpion-like creature on the ground in front of Morgana. She gasps, leaning down to grab a stick from beside her and she holds it in front of her defensively as if it could have any effect on the clearly magical creature. And then Merlin and Morgana both slowly turn to see the massive tail pointing towards Morgana. She screams, whipping around and taking off, but not before the tail stabs her in the leg and she falls to the ground.

"Morgana!" Merlin yells, dropping to his knees beside her. She looks up at him, scrambling to get away.

"Not again!" She yells, and Merlin rolls his eyes.

"Don't you think you've got bigger problems than me at the moment?" Merlin demands, looking up at the top of the hill to see all the other creatures descending from the treeline.

"Merlin, do something!" She yells, and Merlin's frustration skyrockets when he realizes there's nothing he can do._ "Merlin!"_ Morgana screams again, but with less power. She's clearly starting to feel the effects of whatever poison or venom was in the creatures tail, and Merlin braces himself for the death of his friend on his watch when all the creatures stop and back away. A man approaches Morgana, hand positioned outward, and the girl's eyes flutter closed as her head hits the leaf-covered ground.

* * *

Merlin stays close all night, and it's not until the next morning when Morgana finally awakes that he feels a bit of relief. She looks up at the man in front of her and pulls away, and he smiles a kind smile at her. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you."

"What happened?" She demands, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You were stung by a Serket. I came to help. My name is Algain." Algain grabs her arm as she starts thrashing, calming her down enough to get a few words in. "Relax, Morgana. You're safe now."

"Who told you my name?" She demands, and not even Merlin expected what happened next.

"I did."

The three of them turn to see the new visitor, his familiar bright blue eyes sending a chill down Merlin's spine.

Morgana looks at him in shock, eyes wide. "You," she says, not taking her eyes off him even as Algain starts talking again.

"When the Serket attacked last night, Mordred was able to sense your distress. With his mind."

Mordred smiles a small smile, and if the Dragon's warning about him being Arthur's doom hadn't been replaying through his mind, Merlin might have have found it endearing. Morgana's eyes widen suddenly and she slowly pulls her eyes away from Mordred to look at Algain in shock. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Merlin asks, and Morgana looks back at Mordred.

"How did you do that?"

"We don't always need words to speak to one another," Algain says, and Merlin curses loudly, knowing that nobody can hear him.

"Now I can take care of you," Mordred says, sitting at Morgana's feet with another small smile, "like you did me."

* * *

Morgana falls asleep shortly after, and Merlin takes post outside her tent. He doesn't let anyone in without feeling suspicious, especially Algain. For some reason, the man rubs him the wrong way.

He picks up parts of their conversation but doesn't think it's too important so he lets them go about their business.

Eventually Algain gets Morgana out of the tent and he follows them, listening in on their conversation about how Uther wants the Druids dead. Algain asks about why Morgana is so far from Camelot, to which she answers "I'm searching for answers. I hope the Druids can give them to me."

"What would you like to know?"

Morgana hesitates for a moment, but answers anyway. "Why I can see the future in my dreams. Why I'm able to start fires with my mind."

"People who are able to do this are few and far between," Algain says, and Morgana's eyes widen at his words. "You have a gift."

"Is it magic?" She asks, and Algain nods.

"Of a kind, yes. It will be many years before you are able to understand it fully, let alone use it. This isn't something to be afraid of."

"It is if you have Uther as your guardian," Morgana snaps. "If he found out he'd have me killed."

"He won't."

"But if he _did._"

"We won't let that happen. You're safe here," Algain says, and a realization strikes Merlin and he nearly slaps himself in the face for not seeing it coming. "You shouldn't be scared of Uther," Algain continues, "you should pity him."

"Pity him? Why?" Morgana almost laughs.

"Because he's a broken man consumed by fear. His hatred of magic consumes the goodness of his heart."

Morgana shakes her head, her voice starting to shake as she speaks. "I've always been told magic is evil. It corrupts your soul."

"Who told you this? Uther?" Algain asks, and Merlin stares in slight fear of the direction the conversation is headed in. "In time you will learn that magic isn't a dark art that should be shrouded in secrecy. It can be a force for good."

A small smile tugs at the corners of Morgana's lips as she looks down at her lap in thought. Merlin almost smiles, too. Almost.

Later on that same day, just as the sun begins to set, Merlin finds himself watching a bit suspiciously as Algain walks off through the Druid camp. He watches through narrowed eyes as the man walks away, trying to find some sense of reason for his distrust.

He makes his way back to Morgana's tent and pokes his head in. The girl jolts up and looks around the tent, her eyes finally landing on Merlin after a moment. "Merlin. Again. Wonderful."

"You have to go back to Camelot, Morgana."

"Why should I listen to what my hallucination says? You're not real, you can't tell me what to do. I'm never going back to Camelot. Never."

"You have to."

"Why? Why would I go back to a place that hunts and shuns my kind?"

"Morgana, seeking out the Druids was a good idea, but you never realized what the repercussions would be."

"What repercussions?"

"The King. He thinks you've been kidnapped."

It was a guess, of course, but a logical one. Merlin's pretty certain that a search party is on their way to the camp now to kill every single Druid around. Still, Morgana clearly believes it, even though she does think Merlin's just a hallucination. She stares at him with wide eyes, then jumps to her feet and runs straight through him, much to Merlin's dismay.

He pulls himself to his feet, prepared to run after her when a piercing sound rings in his ears and he presses his hands to the side of his head, crumpling down to his knees in pain.

_Merlin!_

"Michael, wha-"

_Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you. I'm not very good at telepathy._

"Clearly. What are you doing?"

_Uther's been taking prisoners. Arthur's been going around with a list arresting anyone on suspicion of kidnapping Morgana. They're all to be executed unless she's returned._

Merlin curses, running up to Morgana. "Look, it's worse than i thought. Uther's going to execute every one of the prisoners he's taken if you don't go back. Now do you see the consequences?" He demands, and she glares at him.

"Remind me again why I should listen to you. You're not really here," she laughs, a bit manically, and Merlin raises his eyebrows at her.

"You know it's the sort of thing Uther would do. You know him better than I do, and even I know it's not crazy for him. They'll all be executed, Morgana. Innocent people."

"If I return, the same fate awaits me," she mutters, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Morgana?" Mordred asks, approaching them slowly. "Who are you speaking to?"

Morgana glances back at Merlin, but her gaze goes straight through him and his heart sinks a bit when he realizes she can't see him again. "Nobody."

"Morgana, we must go," Algain says, approaching the rest of them. "Arthur's men are coming."

Morgana, with one last glance over to where Merlin is standing, turns and follows Algain away from the camp. Merlin sighs, running a hand through his hair, when he notices Mordred hasn't moved. In fact, Mordred is staring straight up at him as if he can actually see him.

"Hello, Emrys," Mordred says, and before Merlin can react, the boy turns and takes off after Morgana and Algain.

Merlin follows, not sure who's side to take. He hears Arthur call and they follow the the four of them, Merlin taking the lead until he hears Morgana cry out in pain. He turns to see her fall to her knees. "My leg, it's too painful."

"I'll try to create a diversion," Merlin says, insure of whether or not she can see him.

"No, you can't!" Morgana calls after him, and Algain gives her a confused look.

"Who are you talking to?"

Merlin ignores him, though. "I'll think of something, don't worry. They can't hurt me. Go!"

"I'll never forget this," Morgana says as Algain drags her off, sending a glance over his shoulder and looking around to try an find out who Morgana was speaking to.

Merlin watches them run, Morgana on their tail, and he mutters a spell. Nothing happens, and he curses again, then turns to see Arthur approaching quickly. He squeezes his eyes shut, and something moves in the woods that seems to take Arthur's attention because the prince turns and yells "there!" He leads his men up the hill and Merlin turns, running after Morgana.

Merlin makes it back to them in time to see Morgana laying on the ground, seemingly unconscious. "They're coming!" Mordred yells, and Merlin watches helplessly as an arrow shoots straight into Algain's back.

Mordred runs, leaving Morgana lying on the ground. The guards yell that they've found her as Merlin runs after Mordred, determined to find out how the boy could see him.

Mordred stops when he finds himself cornered by three guards, and Merlin watches as they prepare to kill the boy. Mordred glances over his shoulder at Merlin, who swallows nervously, and then Mordred does something Merlin would have never thought the young boy could do.

He opens his mouth, letting out a scream, which sends the guards flying out in every direction. They hit the ground, and Merlin can only assume they're dead. Mordred looks around at them, then back at Merlin, before running further into the forest.

* * *

Merlin paces anxiously across Morgana's floor as the ward lays in her bed, eyes closed and breathing steady. He doesn't even see her sit up until she clears her throat awkwardly. He spins around to see her sitting in her bed, looking not as panicked as last time but still just a bit scared. "You saved my life."

"I didn't really-"

"No, you did. How are my hallucinations somehow managing to distract Arthur to let me escape?"

Merlin stares at her for a moment, then shakes his head silently, staring at the ground.

It's a while before she speaks again. "Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin's head snaps up to see her smiling just a bit. "For what?"

"For helping me find who I really am. To help me see that it isn't something to be afraid of. Maybe one day people will come to see magic as a force for good. Thank you."

"Um..." Merlin starts awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's good to have you back."

"I could say the same for you," she laughs a bit, looking down at the bed as she runs her fingers along the pattern of her blankets. "But it would be a lie. It's not good. It's very, _very_ bad. Very confusing."

"I know. I'm sorry," Merlin smiles weakly, and she laughs again, her smile fading as she looks up a him.

"I don't know why I'm seeing you, of all people," she says, narrowing her eyes at him. "But I'm going to find out why."

* * *

**oh craaaaap**

**well morgana thinks shes crazy and that merlin is a hallucination but what will he say to convince her otherwise ****_if _****he can convince her otherwise hmm**

**next up we'll see the lady of the lake with freya and such but that'll be the last episode for a while especially because we get some big michael moments hehehehehehehehe hope none of you guys are too attached to him**

**-notreallymagical**


	6. Chapter 6

_We used to play outside_

_When we were young_

_And full of life and full of love_

* * *

Despite his best efforts, days pass without Morgana showing even the slightest sign of being able to see Merlin.

He isn't sure if it's because she's somehow learned how to shut him out, or if she simply can't see him anymore, but whatever it is, she isn't paying attention to him at all.

Merlin walks through the village, trough the square with all the shops along the walkway. It's fairly dark out and Merlin's on his way back to the castle when he sees a girl in a dress cut to above her knees running with shackles on his wrists. She runs with a limp, her face covered in scars and blood and her hair an absolute mess. Merlin watches with concern as she runs straight toward him, expecting her to run straight through him and continue on her way.

She seemed to think the same, though, because when the two of them crash into each other they end up laying on the ground next to each other.

"You're-" Merlin starts, but the girl doesn't find him important enough to stick around for. She scrambles to her feet and continues running, Merlin following suit behind her until she reaches a dead end, whipping around with panic in her eyes.

"Here. This way," Merlin hisses, and the girl looks at him with wide eyes. She casts another glance the way she came in time to see the people approaching. She runs up to Merlin and he leads her into the maze of the tunnels under the castle. She watches him suspiciously as he holds his hand over his shackles, mutters a few words, and she jumps when they break off her wrists.

He shrugs off his jacket and offers it to her, making her flinch and pull away from him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just thought you might be cold."

"Why did you do that?" She whispers after a moment of silence, and Merlin raises his eyebrows at her.

"Do what?"

"Help me."

Merlin has to think about this for a moment after he realizes he doesn't exactly have an answer. "I don't know. You looked so scared. You'll be safe down here until morning. Nobody will find you here. But if i stay they'll come looking and they'll find me, so I'll come back in the morning.

Will you be alright until then?"

She only shrugs and lapses back into silence.

"I'm Merlin, by the way," he says with a small smile, and she looks down at her feet.

"I'm Freya."

"Freya," Merlin repeats with a nod. He offers her the jacket again and she takes the jacket from him and throws it over her shoulders all without sending even the smallest glance his way, but he doesn't really mind because he knows she's scared.

"I'll see you in the morning, Freya," Merlin nods, and Freya doesn't react immediately.

It's only when he turns his back and starts walking up the steps that he hears the quiet "thank you" from behind him, and he turns to see her watching him leave. He nods, a small smile on his face, and Freya turns away again, but he can feel her eyes on him as he leaves the tunnels.

* * *

Merlin makes it back to Michael's room to hear a conversation between Michael and a voice of a man Merlin doesn't recognize. He wonders if they'd picked up a new one, but by the anger and authority in his tone and the way he spoke to Michael, Merlin could tell he knew the boy.

Merlin presses his ear as close to the door as he can without risking falling through it, and he listens to the conversation.

He doesn't pick up anything, though. Their words are muffled by the door and by the time the man walks through the door and down the hallway without even noticing Merlin, he still hasn't got the slightest idea of what they were talking about.

Merlin walks through the door to find Michael sitting on the chair, his elbows on the table and his chin in his folded hands. Merlin still wonders how the boy can lean against things without falling through them, and Michael doesn't seem to have any intention of telling him.

"Merlin," Michael starts in a low voice, making the warlock flinch.

"Yes?"

"Do you know what an Ambivalent is?" Michael asks, and Merlin shakes his head a bit nervously as Michael talks without even looking at him. "They're people who are half dead and half alive, they can be seen by us and people who're alive. There's one here now, along with a bounty hunter, and she- the Ambivalent- somehow escaped last night. Do you know anything about this, Merlin?"

Merlin tries his best not to gulp nervously. "I had no idea."

"Merlin, Halig is ruthless. We're not safe from him. He's one of our kind. He could kill us. I'm sure Orion's already told you about what happens to us if we die, right?" Merlin nods stiffly, and Michael continues, "trust me, you don't want him to kill you. So I'll ask you again, do you know anything about this girl?"

Merlin immediately shakes his head no, and Michael sighs, finally shifting his glance to look at Merlin. "Good. Because we're going to help him find her."

* * *

Merlin may have underestimated Michael when he said that Halig was ruthless. The man had what seemed to be an army following him, with tools Merlin didn't think existed, especially not in their world.

As he continuously attempted to keep their attention off the tunnels below the castle, Merlin did his best to sneak away at every possible moment. It wasn't until a few hours later that he finally managed to break away and sneak down to the tunnels.

Merlin runs down the steps to the tunnel he'd hidden Freya in, to find the girl curled up in a ball on the ground, eyes closed. Merlin's been dead long enough to know that people in their world don't sleep, which is why he's so surprised when he touches the girls shoulder and she wakes up, shrinking away from him.

"Were you sleeping?" Merlin asks, and Freya just shrugs. He shakes his head, brushing off the fact that she was somehow asleep, and he lights a small fire in the corner, letting it hover as he has nothing to let it sit on.

He looks back at Freya to see the flames illuminating the symbol on her shoulder. "Is that a Druid symbol? "Freya nods, but doesn't say anything, so Merlin continues. "We're you born a Druid?"

"Why are you asking me all these questions?" Freya asks, her eyes meeting his, and the way she looks at him almost makes him shiver.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Merlin splutters, and Freya looks back down at the ground.

"I'm sorry."

"I understand."

"You could never understand," Freya almost snaps, looking back up at Merlin with the same look as before.

"I know what it's like to be hunted for who you are," Merlin tells her, and she bites her lip awkwardly.

"Does anyone know you have magic?" She asks, and Merlin shrugs.

"Now? Yes, but before only one did. He knew, but I don't think he truly understood. I don't think anyone who knows truly understands."

"I wish I was like everybody else, but..." Freya's voice trails off, and Merlin nods.

"You always know, deep down, that you're not?" Merlin asks, and she shrugs.

"Because I'm cursed."

"Freya, don't say that. Who you are, whatever you are, it isn't a curse. I'd give anything to be able to talk to them." Freya shakes her head at Merlin's words, looking back down at the ground, and Merlin sighs. "I've got to go. Someone will notice if I stay missing for too long. But I- I'll come back, and I'll bring you something warmer to sleep in."

* * *

Merlin awkwardly watches Michael talk with Halig, not noticing Orion approaching until she sits next to him.

"He let Lander go. He wanted to be with his family, and it took a lot of convincing before Michael finally broke the bind he set."

Merlin nods, his eyes not leaving Michael once. The boy who Merlin found radiated with power looked so small and scared compared to Halig, and just this fact alone made Merlin that much more nervous of the man.

"Do you think they'll find her?" Orion asks, and Merlin shrugs.

"Maybe. I don't know. Better she escaped, that way they can't hurt her."

"Merlin, they're hunting down the person who helped her," Orion sighs, and Merlin turns his head to glare at her.

"Why does everybody think I did this?!" He demands, and Orion doesn't even flinch.

"You seem to be forgetting that we know you a lot better than you know us. But if you say you didn't help her, then you didn't help her."

"Good. Thank you," Merlin mutters, turning his head and ignoring the look of distrust Orion sends him.

"I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the person who helped her when he finds them," Orion breathes, and Merlin can't suppress the chill her words send down his spine.

* * *

**okokok sorry i changed freya's character a lot but idk if you're all gonna like it im soRRy also this chapter is really short so im orry for that too omg i suck**

**well yeah freya's not a bastet anymore she's an ambivalent which if you did your reading is someone half-dead and half-alive basically who can see and be seen by people who are dead and alive**

_**[whispers] **_**_i see dead people_**

**yeah they're a really rare species and stuff there's only a few of them but we'll get into that later idk keep the ambivalents in mind they're pretty important i'd say**

**but yes here is freya hope y'all enjoyed**

**OH yes i also have a twitter my username is garthfitzgerald but the l is actually an i so it'd be garthfitzgeraid if u wanna follow me that'd be sick also my tumblr url is janseneckles so hit me up there if u wanna**

**-notreallymagical**


	7. Chapter 7

_Some days I don't know_

_If I am wrong or right_

* * *

Merlin, running on his way to the tunnels to see Freya, turns a corner and crashes straight into Halig. The man crosses his arms and glares at Merlin as two of Halig's men he didn't see before grab his arms, pull him into the castle and throw him into a dungeon cell.

"Where were you off to?" Halig asks, towering over Merlin threateningly.

"Just on my way to see Arthur. I'm still allowed to check on him, you know," Merlin says, attempting to snap at him, but instead his voice just shakes as he tries not to cower.

Halig ignores his comment, though. "The Druid girl I'm looking for, have you seen her?"

"No," Merlin says, clenching his jaw and trying to keep his voice steady.

"That girl is an Ambivalent. She is halfway between worlds, she can be seen by people in our state and theirs. Do you know how much money a communication line like that is worth to me?" Halig asks, and Merlin shakes his head. "More than your life. So I'll ask you again. Have you seen the Druid girl?"

_"No."_

Halig reaches forward, his hands landing on Merlin's chest and Merlin falls backward onto a chair. The two men put their hands on Merlin's shoulders to hold him in place while Halig takes a few steps toward him. "You're lying."

"I'm not," Merlin yells, and Halig clenches his fist.

"I think you are."

Before Merlin has a chance to argue, Halig swings his arm back, then slams his fist straight into Merlin's cheek. He lets out a yelp of pain, and Halig's men pull him back into a sitting position as the man prepares to hit him again.

Merlin takes a few more punches, and by the time Michael appears, he's feeling dizzy and disoriented and he isn't sure how he managed to hold off this long.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Michael demands, just as Halig swings his arm towards Merlin's face again. Merlin squeezes his eyes shut and braces himself for another hit that never comes, and when he cracks an eye open, he sees Michael holding Halig against the wall using his magic.

"We caught the boy behaving suspiciously, sir," Halig says, almost looking afraid of Michael.

Merlin doesn't know if he's hallucinating as a result of being beaten into almost unconsciousness (though he's not certain it's even possible for him to fall unconscious), but he swears he sees Michael's eyes glowing red instead of gold.

Merlin blinks as Michael lets Halig go, and when he turns back, Merlin sees his eyes are the same blue as usual. "Merlin is with me, and if you have a problem with him, you bring it to me, not him. Got it?"

Halig, to Merlin's surprise, bows to Michael before straightening up and glaring at Merlin over his shoulder. He nods to his men, who follow him out of the cell, leaving Merlin and Michael alone. Michael doesn't say a word, just gives Merlin a look somewhere between disappointment and anger, and vanishes from sight.

* * *

Though he does feel a little (or a lot) guilty, Merlin still takes it on himself to help Freya.

He makes it down to the tunnels to find her sitting in the corner, her hands folded and staring down at her lap. "I'm sorry I took so long," he says, sitting across from her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she says, but her voice breaks and it comes out as a squeak.

Merlin shakes his head defiantly, sliding closer to her. "You're upset."

"No."

"Did you think I wasn't coming?" Merlin asks, raising an eyebrow and debating if he should put a hand on her knee to comfort her, but decides against it. "I promised you I would."

"I scare most people away," she says, shaking her head and pulling her knees to her chest.

"I'm not most people," Merlin says, and Freya looks up to see a small smile on his face. "How long had you been with him?"

"A few days. I was locked in a cage," she says with yet another shrug and Merlin sighs. She shrugs a lot.

"And the bounty hunter?" He asks, and she shuffles her feet awkwardly in the sand.

"Halig."

"How did he find you?" Merlin asks.

Freya shakes her head with a sniff. "You can't always trust people."

Merlin nods, understanding completely. "I know. That's why I left home."

Freya looks up, her eyes sparkling just a bit, and Merlin feels a bit of hope for the first time since meeting her. "Where is home?"

"Ealdor. It's just a small village. A few small fields, couple of cows. Not really anything special."

Freya slides closer to Merlin, playing with a bit of sand in her hands as she smiles. "My home was next to a lake surrounded by the tallest mountains. In the winter the storms whipped up the water into waves and you thought they were going to crash down and take away all the houses. But in the summer, wild flowers and light. It was like heaven."

Merlin finds himself a bit breathless by the girl's passion when she speaks about her home. "That sounds perfect," he breathes, and Freya smiles just a bit bigger.

"It was," she says, her smile faltering and she slides back to the wall.

"Was?" Merlin question, and Freya shrugs.

"My family died."

"Have you been on your own ever since?"

Another shrug. Merlin sighs, sliding closer to her and sitting next to her on the wall. "You're not on your own anymore. I'm going to look after you. I promise."

Freya shakes her head, her eyes watering just a bit, and Merlin feels his heart sink. "You can't look after me. No one can."

"No, I don't think you understand," Melin says, catching her hands as she drops the sand she had in them. She looks up, a bit shocked, and Merlin continues, "I've never known anyone like you."

He looks down at her hands, mentally cursing at himself for grabbing them, and attempts to pull them away, a bit embarrassed, but Freya reaches out and grabs them again. She looks as if she's asking him to stay, and he shakes his head sadly. "I wish i could stay."

"You're going?"

"We need to be careful," Merlin says, pulling his hands away and getting to his feet. "I'll come back in the morning. You know I will be back, don't you?"

Freya smiles and nods, looking back at the ground, but she looks back up immediately and Merlin grins. He nods, about to walk away when Freya speaks up again.

"Merlin," she calls, and he turns back to see her staring up at him. "I've never known anyone like you, either."

* * *

The smile stays on Merlin's face all night, even the warning bells ringing through the castle can't take it away. He finds himself rushing down to the tunnels the next morning. "I know, I'm late again. Michael was just going on and on about something I wasn't even listening to. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Freya whispers, and Merlin can't help but feel a little disappointed when he sees the girl with her hands wrapped around her body nervously.

"Are you alright?" He asks her.

"I'm fine," she repeats.

Merlin stares at her for a moment longer before he gets an idea. He cups his hands together and whispers a spell, and Freya watches curiously as a red rose appears in his hands. He holds it out to her and she laughs, sitting up straight and holding her hand out. Merlin places it in her hand and she stares down at it, the smile not fading until she lets out a sigh. "Why are you so good to me?" She asks, and he raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"Because... I can't help it, I don't know. I like you. With you I can just be who I am. We don't have to hide anything. We don't have to worry."

"Merlin, please," Freya whispers, passing the rose back to him sadly. "Listen to me. I am not like you."

Merlin jumps when he hears footsteps descending down the stairs. Freya looks at him with panic in her eyes as he scrambles to his feet, helping her up. "They must have followed me." Merlin grabs her hand and leads her away into a corner crevice, and he holds her breath as Halig walks into the place they were just moments before. He curses in his mind when he sees Michael with Halig out of the corner of his eye, the boy looking around for the two of them.

Merlin waits until the footsteps leave again before letting out a breath of relief. Freya sinks to her knees, letting out ragged breaths of panic and Merlin lowers himself to sit next to her.

"They're going to find me," she says, her words coming out in panicked cries. "I can't go back in that cage, I can't."

Merlin tries his best to comfort her as she buries her head in his chest. "Shh, I won't let that happen," he says as she lets out a sob and sniffs. "I promised you I'd look after you, and I will. No matter what."

Freya takes a deep breath, calming herself down just a bit as she pulls herself out of the protection of Merlin's jacket. He stares at her for a moment longer, then speaks again. "You really don't realize how special you are, do you?"

"You're not scared of me." Merlin isn't sure if she'd intended it to be a question, but it comes out more as a statement.

"Being different isn't something to be scared of," he whispers, feeling his throat close a bit. Another tear falls out of Freya's eye and before Merlin realizes what he's doing, he inches his face closer and closer to hers until their lips meet softly.

Merlin feels a tear slip out of his own eye, not a sad one like Freya's, one out of joy for finally finding someone who_ understands._

* * *

Merlin paces across the floor of Arthur's chambers, humming a happy tune as he walks over to the prince- who hasn't stopped moping since the death of his manservant, and Merlin thinks that he should feel a bit bad for the sorrow Arthur's going through, but with everything that's going on now he can't bring himself to it.

Merlin peeks over Arthur's shoulder and whatever he's writing on the paper, and he doesn't notice that Michael's materialized in the middle of the room until the boy clears his throat.

"Knock that off, it's annoying," Michael says in a bit of a spiteful tone, and Merlin nods awkwardly, suppressing his hums and choosing instead to tap his foot. He ends up humming again, anyway, and Michael rolls his eyes. "Merlin."

"Sorry," Merlin apologizes absentmindedly, his focus still on the paper in Arthur's hands even though he isn't even reading the words.

"Come with me, we've got stuff to do," Michael says, and Merlin looks up and shakes his head quickly.

"Can't, sorry."

Michael crosses his arms, shifts his weight onto one leg and raises his eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"I've got my own stuff to do. Just because you seem to be all high and mighty to Halig and his men doesn't mean you're high and mighty to me. In case you've forgotten, I know what my task is," Merlin says with a glance down at Arthur. "He's going on a hunting trip and I have to be there to make sure he doesn't lose his head."

Michael doesn't look even the least bit convinced, most likely because even if Arthur were to get in danger, Merlin wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, but Michael just lets out an annoyed breath and shakes his head. "Fine. Just try not to die."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Merlin smiles, and Michael rolls his eyes before disappearing again.

"He has got to teach me how to do that," Merlin whispers to nobody in particular, then with a final glance at Arthur, he takes off through the castle and back to the tunnels below.

* * *

Freya looks up as Merlin turns the corner, looking a bit upset. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't help it," Merlin says, not caring about the grin on his face.

"It's dangerous," Freya sighs as Merlin kneels in front of her.

Merlin shakes his head, his grin only getting bigger. "I don't care."

"No, Merlin, you have to be careful."

Merlin drops to a sitting position and huffs in slight annoyance. "That's just it, I am fed up with being careful. I am fed up with all of this. So I've decided, we're going to get you out of here, out of Camelot."

"How?"

"I'll sneak you out. It's not like anyone can see me, and nobody will recognize you. As long as we avoid Michael and Halig's men, we shouldn't have to worry."

Merlin's smile fades a bit as Freya frowns, looking down at the ground. "What's wrong?" He asks, and she looks back up at him sadly.

"It's just, I'll miss you."

"No, you won't," Merlin grins again. "Because I'm coming with you."

"You what?" Freya breathes, and Merlin pulls her to her feet, not dropping her hands when they're both standing. "I told you I'm going to look after you."

"You can't. Stop saying that."

"It's not what you want-"

"Merlin," Freya cuts him off, sinking back down to the ground a bit hopelessly. "You have a good life here. My life is...I have to keep moving, always looking over my shoulder, people chasing me..."

"Then we'll go somewhere where nobody knows us. Somewhere far away."

Freya looks up at him sadly. "I want that more than anything. But you told me that your task is to help Arthur. Most people in our state don't even get that far, they just stay here rotting away for all eternity. You can't just give that up, not for me."

"That means I'll spend all eternity with you. Freya," Merlin whispers, bending down to kneel beside her. "I want this as much as you do."

Freya stays silent for a moment, before looking up at him with hope sparkling in her eyes. "Where will we go?"

Merlin grins at this, the same hope in his chest. "Somewhere with mountains."

Freya grins, too, leaning towards Merlin. "A few fields."

"Wild flowers."

"A couple of cows."

"And a lake."

"And a lake."

* * *

**basically the only important thing in this chapter is that halig bowed to michael ill try not to spoil anything just remember that little tidbit**

**yeah this entire chapter is basically just me rewriting the transcript of the lady of the lake so yeah sorry about that the next one does that too but only for like half of it the other half is not gonna be fun for u michael fans and freylin shippers spoiler alert freya dies**

**but yeah idk sorry i took forever to update i need to set reminders or something to remember to post new chapters every few days i always forget**

**since i took so long i'll give you a bit of insight on what happens soon, we find out michael's secrets, meet a hell of a lot of oc's who tell us a bit about he other dead people kicking around albion, _and _we find out some stuff about the fifth dead person living in camelot (plus we see lander again ayy lmao) so yeah that's what you have to look forward to stick around things are picking up soon**

**but until then enjoy this transcript of the lady of the lake**

**-notreallymagical**


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